including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle

son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret,

and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom

Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will

she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First off I'd like to thank Tara and Lisa from DAC tours for giving me the book to review. Thanks!

I was constantly debating between 3.5 and 4 stars and well I've decided on four. I thought Bridges' idea was very original, very intriguing, and very appealing. This new trend of historical paranormal novels is new for me and I was really curious to see what I would think of it. I've always loved historical fiction and I've always loved Russia, so this seemed like a perfect fit. I was intrigued by this book from the beginning.

Katerina was a character I immediately liked. She wasn't afraid to confront the social norms of the time, and she wasn't afraid to do what she wanted. She was strong, and yet there was a sense of vulnerability about her. I loved that.

I also loved George Alexandrovich from the beginning. He was strong, mysterious, and just a little dangerous (not to mention slightly off limits) so I loved him.

And then Prince Danilo, a character I also really liked. I don't want to say too much here, because I don't want to give anything away. But I'll just say I could see why Katerina was "inexplicably drawn to him" as the synopsis says.

The writing style was good, the characters were extremely likable, and I loved the setting, but something was missing for me. I can't figure out quite what was missing, but something was missing to make it a high four star rating or a five rating.

I did, however, love love love the ending. I am definitely excited to see what happens in the sequel which should be coming out in October of this year.

In Summary: A very enjoyable book that was well-written and entertaining. A book that left me anxious to read the sequel, but a book that lacked something to make it a solid high four/five star rating.

Warnings: Okay minor violence and references to blood, and very very minor sexual references in the loosest sense of the word. Really this is a clean novel. It's not very sexual or violent. It was set in 1888 and is about an aristocracy who obeyed the social customs of the time. So yeah clean.

The Wrap-Up: Once again thanks Tara and Lisa for letting me review this book. A very enjoyable book. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the sequel. Recommended especially to those who love, romance, historical fiction, and paranormal elements. Also if you like love triangles as much as I do, you'll like this one for that reason alone.

Who am I?

Who am I? I am currently a freelance journalist and freelance editor who hopes to become a published novelist. My genres of choice are fantasy and paranormal romance. But I will read or write just about anything. I am also a college student who is double-majoring in English and print journalism with a minor in editing.